All Asyute were made using exactly the same method, there are
no technical or structural variables and other then color, design
and fineness nothing differentiates one from any other. As previously
mentioned a thin, narrow silver-washed strip of metal-foil is threaded
with a squat double-eyed needle into and out of a previously woven
netted ground cloth. This is done several times to make each complete
stitch. The foil is then bent back and forth several times to break
it off to begin the next. Each stitch is an individual unit of design,
the overall pattern formed by the combination of these units just
like a mosaic.

As Plate One convincingly proves this technique has
a long history of use in Egypt but since this reference is the only
one available for comparison the origin of the Asyute shawl tradition
still remains unknown.

That said the existence of this long
history greatly increases the possibility metal-foil decorated long
wide wraps similar to Asyute also existed prior to the 19th century.
Plate Two's unusual and rather archaic pattern, extremely fine net and
smooth tight surface intimate it may be a candidate. And while these
criteria are subjective and not positive, this shawl appears to be made
at an earlier time period than the others shown here.

So far it is the lone survivor but chance and probability
strongly suggest others like it will eventually turn up. But even if
none ever do, Plate Two demonstrates Asyute shawls were likely produced
on much smaller scale for local consumption well before the export demands
changed what evidently was a small highly specialized tradition into
an industry.